University of Southern Maine

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Rose Marasco, USM Photography Professor, Wins National Teaching Award

April 27 , 2005

Photographer Rose Marasco, a professor of art at the University of Southern Maine, was recently named this year's winner of the Excellence in Photographic Teaching Award by the Santa Fe Center for Photography.  The award recognizes and rewards a high school, college or post-graduate level educator for dedication and passion for photographic teaching.

In the press release announcing Marasco's Excellence in Photographic Teaching Award, Marasco states "I embrace the discoveries I make as an artist to inform new ideas in the classroom. I teach from a place that does not isolate photography as a separate entity from the rest of the visual arts, our history and culture."

That philosophy of teaching was exhibited at USM last year when Marasco mounted a retrospective of her previous 10 year's work.  The exhibit, "Domestic Objects Past and Presence," featured large-format Cibachrome prints, and was the springboard for a series of events that crossed the curriculum at USM leading to writing assignments, a student art exhibit, public readings, and film screenings.  Marasco's intent was to bring together the disciplines of literature, history and art—her inspirations—into a cohesive educational experience for the USM community and the public.

Marasco's retrospective toured the state of Maine over 2004-2005. Other than her retrospective, she has had significant one-person exhibitions at Sarah Morthland Gallery, N.Y.C., in 1998, 2000 and 2003; at The Davis Museum at Wellesley College; The Farnsworth Museum of Art in Rockland, Maine; and The Portland Museum of Art.

Her newest series, "108 Winter Street," is a history about her own 1837 Greek Revival home, and documents objects and letters she found in the building, and also includes portraits and the histories of former inhabitants.

Editor's Note:  Marasco's photographs can be seen at http://www.rosemarasco.com/photocollection.html

For more information on Marasco's teaching award see http://www.sfcp.org and click on "Excellence in Photographic Teaching Award" under "Announcing the 2005 Winners."

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